Electrical connector element for orbital stations

Abstract

A junction system serves for establishing an electrically conductive connection between a wiring system arranged at a first outer structure and a wiring system arranged at a second inner structure. The respective end regions of the wiring system which have to be interconnected constitute annular receptacles arranged coaxially in tandem, into which a prismatic connector element can be inserted from the outside which comprises on its outer side appropriately designed contact units extending in its longitudinal direction. The quantity of the contact units amounts to a whole or integral multiple of the quantity of the contact pairs to be connected, and these contact units are arranged at the junction element to be offset with respect to each other by a fixed rotational angle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An interconnecting electrical system comprising a first structure having a first wiring system connected to a first set of contact elements in a first receptacle, a second structure having a second wiring system connected to a second set of contact elements in a second receptacle, a removable junction element comprising a third set of contact elements and a fourth set of contact elements each connected to one of the third set, said first, second, third and fourth contact sets being structurally arranged such that, when the junction element is placed in the first and second receptacles, the first and third sets of contact elements and the second and fourth sets of contact elements are interconnected respectively thereby interconnecting the first and second wiring systems of the first and second structures. 
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first structure is an orbital station, the second structure is an experimentation carrier, and the junction element is configured to fit within the receptacles in discrete angular orientations. 
     
     
       3. A junction system for establishing an electrically conducting connection between a wiring system arranged at a first outer structure and an associated wiring system arranged at a second inner structure for use in manned orbital stations, said second structure being detachably retainable in the first outer structure, said first and second structures having respective approximately annularly-shaped first and second receptacles that can be axially aligned, a first set of contact elements circumferentially spaced about the first receptacle and connected to the wiring system of the first structure, a second set of contact elements circumferentially spaced about the second receptacle and connected to the wiring system of the second structure, and a removable generally prismatically shaped elongated junction element having on its outer surface circumferentially-spaced contact units arranged in such a manner that when inserted in the first and second receptacles electrical connections are established between the first and second wiring systems. 
     
     
       4. A junction system according to claim 3, further comprising means for latching the junction element when in its inserted position. 
     
     
       5. A junction system according to claim 3, wherein the contact units comprise resilient members arranged to contact the first and second contact elements and are arranged in pairs by interconnecting bridges extending in the longitudinal direction of the junction element. 
     
     
       6. A junction system according to claim 3, wherein the junction element can be inserted into the receptacles in a plurality of different angular positions in each of which the first and second wiring systems are interconnected. 
     
     
       7. A junction system according to claim 6, wherein each of the wiring systems comprise redundant supply lines connected to different contact elements. 
     
     
       8. A junction system according to claim 3, wherein the quantity of the contact units amounts respectively to an integral multiple of the quantity of the first and second sets of contact elements, the contact units being arranged on the circumference of the junction element so as to be offset with respect to each other through a fixed rotational angle. 
     
     
       9. A junction system according to claim 8, wherein the contact units are arranged at a cylindrical region of an electrically nonconductive material of the junction element. 
     
     
       10. A junction system according to claim 3, wherein the first receptacle is a throughbore, and the second receptacle is a blind bore. 
     
     
       11. A junction system according to claim 10, wherein the junction element comprises a shank-like extension configured to engage both receptacle bores. 
     
     
       12. A junction system according to claim 11, wherein the junction element and the blind bore have cooperating position locating structure extending in their longitudinal directions so as to allow the junction element shank to engage and seat within the bore in several rotational angular positions. 
     
     
       13. A junction system according to claim 3, wherein the junction element comprises a terminal plate and a handle. 
     
     
       14. A junction system according to claim 13, wherein latch means are provided to lock the junction element to the first structure by means of the terminal plate.